Dirt
NHRA Pro Mod is the
place to be in 2018
By Josh Hachat
S
o what’s the determining fac-
tor to tell if a class is thriving? Like,
really, truly prospering in every as-
pect. Is it as simple as car counts?
Is it the list of standout drivers who
don’t qualify at a certain event, ex-
emplifying the true depth of the class? Or is it
phenomenal performances from drivers in cars
that continually push the envelope? Perhaps it’s
other professional drivers jumping classes just to
compete in it, an already full schedule be damned.
Or is it a case where it has to be all the above?
Whatever it is – and it probably is all of them and
likely more if a class is in tremendous shape – the
E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Series presented
by J&A Service has it and, yes, it is definitely
thriving.
No matter the criteria, this class is checking
off every single box and probably the bonus an-
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swers for extra credit. It only takes one look at
the season-opener in Gainesville to see it.
Somehow, the class continues to get deeper,
better, quicker and draw more
talent. It’s the day and age –
and maybe the golden age – of
the doorslammer. Numbers in
terms of pure participation may
have been higher at different
points in other organizations,
but good luck finding 35 cars
as good as the ones that thrilled
the huge crowds at Gaines-
ville Raceway.
Point blank, the 35 cars in
NHRA Pro Mod in Florida and
the 30 that followed in Houston
are as good as it gets. You have
world champions, previous race
winners and just a seemingly
endless list of massively tal-
ented drivers. That’s what made the NHRA Pro
Mod season-opener so juicy. The talking points
in Gainesville were endless. In fact, it’s so good in
the class right now that 35 entries almost means
35 worthwhile storylines.
Forget for a quick second the fact Rickie Smith
was stone-cold on the starting
line and incredible once again
to take the win. Let’s start this
in reverse, focusing on who
didn’t make the cut, even as
many of them made runs plenty
worthy of qualifying. In fact,
eight drivers ran in the 5.80s
and didn’t make the cut. Yes,
Sidnei Frigo, who won the U.S.
Nationals last year, went a stout
5.843 at 253.71 mph and wasn’t
even the No. 16 qualifier. The
likes of Pete Farber, Michael
Biehle, Danny Rowe and Har-
ry Hruska all ran 5.80s as well,
but their weekend was done on
Saturday. Plenty others – Eric
Latino, Kenny Lang, Steve Matusek, Bill Glidden,
Chip King, Richie Stevens, Clint Satterfield – all
missed eliminations, too.
Issue 132
Off the Charts